Gout May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s

Researchers now claim that people with a history of gout disease are at a 24 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Gout is often referred to as the 'Disease of Kings' since Henry VIII was first diagnosed with it.

According to the study, a painful joint condition like gout could have a protective effect on the brain. The body produces an excessive amount of uric acid during a gout attack and this could possibly enhance protection against Alzheimer's.

The study, carried out by Boston University Medical Centre and The Massachusetts General Hospital sampled over 3.7 million individuals above the age of 40. The study excluded individuals who were having dementia or gout.

Among 59,224 people with gout, 309 Alzheimer's cases were discovered. On the other hand, 1,942 cases of Alzheimer's were reported from a sample of 238,805 patients, when following up over a 5 year time line.

Scientists discovered that patients with a history of gout disease showed at least 24 per cent less vulnerability to Alzhiemers.

For the study, factors like BMI, age, sex, socio economic status, prior heart history and life style choices of the person were excluded.

The report said, "Our findings provide the first population-based evidence for the potential protective effect of gout on the risk of Alzheimer's disease and support the purported neuroprotective role of uric acid".